We’ve been in this entrepreneurship game on and off for quite a bit of time. In fact, if you take a look, you’ll see our first blog post was written in 2011. Even though we stepped away until 2018, entrepreneurship continued to burn. While waiting for the right time to return – and throughout the last year – we’ve consumed quite a few books for entrepreneurs, business and life. We won’t dare say that we’re experts on “books for entrepreneurs” to read, but our incessant reading (to the point of taking a break because we were reading so much) has given us insight great insight on what it takes to win.

1. Quitter by John Acuff ($4.93 – Amazon). Though Acuff has written two to three significant books since publishing this read, this book is a good book for new entrepreneurs trying to determine whether or not to leave their day job for their passion. I DID NOT want to read this book (I mean who wants to hear “don’t quit your day job” when you’re tired of working for the man (smile). In this book of wisdom, Acuff drops gems of what and who to consider before taking the leap. Primary example: Are you ready for your bills to become your boss? What about your spouse? (They may be wondering when you’ll be putting in on the bills again.)
2. Start.: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters by John Acuff ($13.50 – Amazon). “Retirement is dead.” This was the most memorable line in this book and likely has stuck with me in an unhealthy way. Nevertheless, Acuff uses this book to nudge us off the ledge of anticipation into doing something. He reminds us that it takes a long time to become an expert and also, that our passions/purpose will change. Instead of mulling over the unknown, hop to it, princess.
3. Finish by Jon Acuff ($12.23 – Amazon.) By now, you can tell that I have a thing for Acuff’s style. If you’re a self-process procrastinator or one who seems to start a project, BUT NEVER FINISH (yeah, you), pick this one up. Two primary tips I took from this book was focus and write a list of new ideas, then come back to it after you’ve finished your current endeavor. I know, hard to do, but if we’re gonna succeed, we can’t be all over the place. We have to have focus. (Yes, I know how attractive the new idea is.)
4. #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso ($13.23 – Amazon). Now that we’re off the Acuff train, let’s talk some other amazing books. Amoruso went from pretty much nothing to launching and running boss brand, NastyGal. She started scrappy as heck and hustled her way to success. Where there is a will there is a way may as well have been her motto. One thing that came through in this book was grit, creativity, and connectivity to customers. The unique thing I took away from this book was the idea of growing slowly. Amoruso was transparent about the blessing it was to make mistakes without having the entire world as an audience. This lesson, here, is invaluable.
5. Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur by Alwill Leyba, Cara ($12.00 – Amazon). We all know how catty women can be. That’s what makes this book a breath of fresh air. This read talked about the power of collabs with other women, seeing one another less as competition and as more of an asset. Being a super competitive person, this book changed my heart and the way I look at women. The world is big enough for all of us. This is not an easy mindset for all (including me) to achieve, but the benefits help rethink some super stinkin thinkin.
6. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuck ($13.24 – Amazon). I literally just finished this book last week, and it is so freakin’ good that it made the list. Varynerchuck’s passion oozes through exciting storytelling in an almost addictive manner. Not only will you walk away with ideas for platforms, you walk away feeling like “bro, I can really do this.” I believe there’s a level of balance that’s not addressed in this book that we all must consider to stay healthy, but even so, this a book you want to pick up. Much of the information will only be relevant for a small period of time as platforms change so much. Nevertheless, if you’re on this ride in 2019 and 2020, GET THIS BOOK!